That’s the thing—social media makes it look like you just roll out some plants and boom, green roof. Reality check: structural work is a whole different beast. I’ve seen folks get halfway through demo before realizing their rafters are nowhere near up to code for the extra weight. Not cheap to fix, either.
On the underlayment side, I’ve upgraded a few times—mostly when switching from felt to synthetic. Honestly, it’s usually straightforward, but I did run into a hiccup once with an older house where the decking was uneven. Had to spend extra time shimming and patching just to get a flat surface. Adds hours you don’t see coming, and that’s before you even start rolling out the new material.
I get why people bail once they see the real numbers. Instagram never shows the part where you’re crawling around in attic dust, trying not to step through the ceiling.
That attic dust is no joke—been there, done that, got the itchy arms to prove it. People forget how much prep goes into just getting a roof ready for new material, especially on older homes. I’ve had to sister up rafters more times than I can count because someone wanted a “simple” green roof. It’s never as easy as it looks online... and don’t even get me started on what you find under old felt. Sometimes it’s more patchwork than roofing.
That attic dust is the worst—why does it always feel like it’s made of fiberglass and regret? I totally get what you mean about the prep work, especially with older houses. Have you ever run into those weird old insulation types, like the stuff that looks like shredded newspaper? I always wonder what’s lurking under there… and yeah, “simple” green roofs are never actually simple. Did you ever have to deal with old knob-and-tube wiring up there, too? That’s a whole other headache.
When you’re sistering rafters, do you find it’s usually because of rot, or just undersized lumber from back in the day? I’ve seen both, but sometimes I wonder if it’s worth the hassle or if it’s better to just redo the whole section. Also, what’s the wildest thing you’ve found under old felt? I once found a bird’s nest and a handful of marbles—still have no idea how those got there. Makes you think about what else is hiding in the layers, right?
I once found a bird’s nest and a handful of marbles—still have no idea how those got there.
That’s wild. The weirdest thing I’ve found was an old metal lunchbox wedged behind a rafter—no clue how it got there, but it was full of rusty nails and a petrified sandwich. When I was sistering rafters, it was mostly due to undersized lumber, but sometimes the rot was so localized I just replaced short sections. Full replacement seemed like overkill unless more than a third was bad. Did you ever actually pull out knob-and-tube, or just work around it? I’m always worried about disturbing something that’ll turn into a bigger mess.
Knob-and-tube is my personal nightmare. I’ve only ever worked around it—never had the guts (or the budget) to yank it all out. Every time I open up a wall, I half expect to find a squirrel’s nest wired into the circuit. I agree, unless the rot is spreading, patching is usually enough. Full replacement just feels like you’re asking for more headaches, especially in these old houses where nothing is ever straightforward.
